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Editorial

The unseemly remarks
about Mahatma Gandhi, who is revered all over the world as a great visionary and
an apostle of peace and non violence, who led the country in its struggle for
freedom from colonial forces, by the BJP President Amit Shah are beneath
contempt even to be condemned. It shows the hollowness of his culture and
shallowness of his understanding about the feelings that the nation has for the
Mahatma. No amounts of crass remarks by the people like him are going to undo
the affection that the nation has for the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi.

The Congress Working Committee was convened under the
Chairmanship of the Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi on 6thJune 2017. CWC
appreciated the achievements of ISRO established 60 years ago by India’s
Visionary First Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru. ISRO with its achievements
has not only done India proud, it’s also an asset to the world community. CWC
congratulated the scientists of ISRO for their historic achievement.

The CWC expressed its deep sympathy with the fate of the
farmers and the manner in which this government is treating them. Since the UPA
was a pro farmer Government the production of farm produce kept on increasing.
The BJP made an election promise of increasing MSP to 50% over and above their
actual cost. But this too was a lie. 12,000 farmers have committed suicide due
to agrarian distress. The farmers are agitating all across the country.
Everything has become more expensive and nothing is being done to control
prices. Even with the international price of crude having come down to below
half during UPA time, no benefit has been passed on to the people in the
country.

The agitation by farmers with similar demands is happening
all over the country. Instead of listening to the woes of the farmers and
giving them an assurance of redress the Governments of BJP-ruled states are
getting offensive against them blaming the agitation as a ploy of the
opposition they have gone to the extent of shooting and killing the agitating
farmers. It has been many days since the happenings in Mandasur in MP. However
the Prime Minister who tweets on anything and everything hasn’t had a word to
say of remorse or condolence. The promise of giving an MSP with 50% enhancement
on cost has been made by the BJP in its manifesto. The farmers, therefore,
voted them to power. How can they now attempt to quell the voice by murdering
them in broad daylight? The first knee jerk reaction was that they were not
killed in police firing. Then, that it was the Congress who was instigating
them. And thereafter that it was a photo-op for the opposition. Instead of
understanding the genuine issues of the farmers and giving them relief the CM
of MP sat on a fast. What a farcical situation of blackmail, threatening the
farmers in this subtle manner!

Congress Vice President Shri Rahul Gandhi was stopped from
proceeding to Mandsaur to share the grief of those whose loved ones were killed
by the barbaric act of the MP Government.

In the same manner Congress Vice President, Shri Rahul Gandhi
had had to face tremendous obstacles in reaching out to the victims of
Saharanpur clash. He said that ‘it is duty of the UP Chief Minister to protect
the weak and its CM should start doing this. The NDA Govt. has spread fear
among the weaker section of the society all across the country’. The NDA government
has been shouting the slogan of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ but the truth is
just opposite to it.

When the PM made an announcement of demonetization on 8th,
November last year he said it was a revolutionary step. This would bring back
black money, inflation would reduce, the GDP would enhance and the infiltration
of terrorists would reduce. The counterfeit currency would go out of
circulation and tax collection would substantially increase. The former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh, a
renowned economist the world over, warned that this would have an impact on
Growth and economy and the GDP could come down by almost 2%. The Government
trashed his claims. But now the effects are visible. The GDP has come down, job
Market has crashed, Industrial production has shrunk, both educated and
un-educated are only witnessing dismay in their life with no visible
opportunity. Every section of society has been adversely affected. The way,
every voice of dissent is muzzled in the country is unprecedented. Blatant misuse
of Government machinery in this manner has never happened before.

The Government is
celebrating the completion of three years in office and patting its own back
for the so called progress the country is said to have made. But the figures of
its own departments belie the claims of the BJP leadership. The only thing they
can claim truly is the atmosphere of fear that they have spread amongst all
sections of society. Be it the poor, backwards, youth, students, women, media
and even the business community. An example of this was displayed with the
recent CBI raid on NDTV. Congress Party condemned it saying that during the
last three years, the NDA government gave the country nothing but fear and
apprehension. The attack on NDTV is a reflection of a well thought out strategy
to muzzle every voice that tries to question the rationale of its decision,
policies and their efficacies and refuses to budge under its browbeating and
insinuations against criticism. Any attempt to crush the freedom of the press
through intimidation in any form warrants severe condemnation. The freedom of expression
must be safeguarded at any cost as it has come under pressure. The who’s who of
the media collected at the press club to condemn this government action in no uncertain
words.

The government is
busy trying to divert attention of the country from economic issues and direct
it towards fissiparous emotive issues like Gau Hatya, Love Jihad, Romeo Squads,
Triple Talak, relations with Pakistan etc. All these have a place in our
society, but its prime responsibility of providing means and shelter to the
people of the country cannot be done away with.

The Congress Sandesh
joins the entire rank and file of the Party and well wishers in wishing very
happy birthday to its Vice President Shri Rahul Gandhi, which falls on 19th June.
We wish him many years to come in the service of the party and the nation.